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This coming Sunday I am preaching on Philippians 2:19-30. The passage includes three characters: Paul, Timothy, and Epaphroditus. These three characters are all unique in their own way and each serve God in their own way. Each of them have received unique gifts and developed their talents for His glory and for His service. This passage gives a great opportunity to talk about the unity of the body of Christ and the usefulness of each member of that body utilizing their God-given spiritual gifts for His service and in His church.

To illustrate this point here is a personality profile chart for the Myers-Briggs Personality Profile test as it relates to Biblical characters.

I have done this test a couple of times and my personality was mostly ESFJ and some ENTJ. Mostly David and some of Paul.

Like this:

A Model of Christian Charity by John Winthrop

Now the only way to avoid this shipwreck, and to provide for our posterity, is to follow the counsel of Micah, to do justly, to love mercy, to walk humbly with our God. For this end, we must be knit together, in this work, as one man. We must entertain each other in brotherly affection. We must be willing to abridge ourselves of our superfluities, for the supply of others’ necessities. We must uphold a familiar commerce together in all meekness, gentleness, patience and liberality. We must delight in each other; make others’ conditions our own; rejoice together, mourn together, labor and suffer together, always having before our eyes our commission and community in the work, as members of the same body. So shall we keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. The Lord will be our God, and delight to dwell among us, as His own people, and will command a blessing upon us in all our ways, so that we shall see much more of His wisdom, power, goodness and truth, than formerly we have been acquainted with. We shall find that the God of Israel is among us, when ten of us shall be able to resist a thousand of our enemies; when He shall make us a praise and glory that men shall say of succeeding plantations, “may the Lord make it like that of New England.“For we must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us.

Think about your church. Is this the model your church follows?

I want my church to be one that does justly, loves mercy, and walks humbly with God. A church that embraces its responsibility to be a example before the eyes of all people. And when they see my church they see Christ.

Micah 6:8 (ESV)

He has told you, O man, what is good’

and what does the Lord require of you

but to do justice, and to love kindness,

and to walk humbly with your God?

Modern day terms for the goal and vision in a church that wants to be a city set on a hill.

I cannot get over this phrase from Acts 17:6

6 And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also,

7 and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.”

What kind of effects are you having on the world around you?

I think our culture tries to affect the world in ways that are ultimately ineffective. We try to solve people’s problems through means that sound good and make us look good but don’t solve the problem. We don’t turn anything upside down but rather we spin it around a little.

Take for instance: Michelle Obama’s new upcoming rap album “Songs for a Healthier America.” Yes, the first lady will be producing a rap album to clean kids brains from all the McDonald’s rap albums and catchy slogans by instilling values based on broccoli and carrots. Wait? Fast Food restaurants and chip companies don’t produce rap albums? Hmmmm… Maybe they should spend time counter acting the rap culture. Objectify women and do what you want to do because who cares it’s your life: mo money, mo hoe’s, mo cars, mo guns and mo UNHEALTHY BIG MAC BURGERS! Ok… No self-respecting rapper would ever think about promoting something that’s dangerous for American teenagers.

See the problem? You can try all you want without God and without his plan but to no effect.

The only way we can affectively turn the world upside down is through the power of the Holy Spirit. The apostles were given boldness to preach the gospel even to the point of death. But that same power/boldness/grace that the apostles had and helped spread the early church like a wild fire is the same power inside of each one of us. So when you want to CHANGE THE WORLD or when you want to ACTUALLY TURN IT UPSIDE DOWN. Don’t just TRY TO BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE

but rather seek the power you want to see!

Seek the Holy Spirit through prayer and guidance in the Word of God to find the power to change the world for the glory of God.